The Power of Love
by yellow 14
Summary: Toan reflects on the tale of Seda as he prepares to propose to the woman he loves.


Disclaimer: I don't own and I know it.

Ten years.

Ten years since his unforgettable adventure and yet it felt like it was so much more. And it was now that he found himself thinking about Seda of all people. Seda, the 'father' of the Dark Genie (If such a term could be applied to the Genie) Seda, who loved his darling Sophia so much that he was ready to sell his very soul to protect her and Sophia who loved him so much she would die for him.

It was funny. He used to wonder what it would feel like to love someone romantically so much that you would sell your very soul to protect them. To die for them even. It seemed very…abstract. Or at least it did at the time.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

Toan looked up and smiled at his friend Carl, who was holding a pair of drinks. He handed one over to Toan.

"Nothing important really," he said with a nonchalant shrug and Carl rolled his eyes.

"Still thinking about your adventure?" he asked and Toan nodded. Carl took a long draw of his own drink and grimaced. "It's been what, ten years? Ten years since you walked into the village with a cat, a story and a bag full of stuff that came from far away places."

"Ten years and three months I think," Toan replied, raising his drink to his lips. "See the world destroyed, bring it back and change history so it never happened. Yeah, pretty much."

"Toan…" Carl began and Toan shrugged.

"I wasn't really thinking about my adventure really. Just…"

"Just what?" Carl asked, looking curiously at him. Toan shrugged again.

"I was just thinking about Seda," he finished, before taking a long draw of his drink.

"King Seda, the Mage King? The King who sold his soul to save his people?" Carl asked curiously and Toan nodded.

"Yeah, him," Toan replied. He gestured over to the dancers around the massive bonfire. "We go through this festival every year to celebrate the downfall of the Tyrant Wizard of the West at his hands. But…in his memories, he didn't make that fateful deal to protect his people or end the suffering of the people under the Wizard. He sold his very soul for love. He sold his soul to protect the woman he loved more than life itself."

"Mate, I don't think you're likely to have to sell your soul to protect anyone," Carl pointed out with a smile and Toan laughed.

"Not exactly what I was thinking about. To be honest, I was thinking about how much he loved her," Toan gestured over to the dancers once more. "I used to wonder what it felt like to be so in love."

"It's something you'll know when it happens," Carl replied calmly and he smiled. "I know I did."

"Yeah, everyone expected me to be the one who married Paige," Toan paused and they both chuckled. "Everyone except me and Paige oddly enough. Where is she anyway?"

"The bump is giving her trouble," Carl replied with a shrug. "She told me to go on ahead. So who is the girl you've fallen for so hard anyway?" Carl leaned over at Toan. "Is it that Matataki girl by any chance?"

"How did…I mean, wha-"

Carl burst out laughing at the look on Toan's face and put his hand on his friend's shoulder.

"You can thank Paige for that. She knew you were falling in love even before we got married," Carl said with a smirk. "You do know she can read you like a book, don't you?"

"But…but…"

"In fact, Paige probably knows you better than anyone I think. Even better than you know yourself," he paused and looked at Toan. "I'd almost be jealous if I didn't know better."

"A good thing you know better then," Toan replied and both men grinned. "But even so-"

"Even so nothing!" Carl said dismissively with a wave of his hand. "Just damn well go up there and dance with her already!"

"But she's so much younger than me!" Toan protested and Carl snorted.

"Not that much younger," he replied with amusement. "Just go up and ask her."

"But-"

Carl let out a sigh of frustration and threw his hands in the air. This was proving to be harder than he thought. He gave Toan a long suffering look.

"Toan," he began in a voice that suggested he was at the end of his tether. "Kululu is EIGHTEEN years old. She's old enough to make her own choices. Go up and ASK her before the Macho brothers try their luck."

The result on Toan was nothing short of electric. Sitting up sharply with his eyes wide open, he looked at Carl in horror.

"Do you really think…" he began, before shaking his head and standing up. "If you'll excuse me, I have a dance to ask for," and with that, Toan walked over to Kululu. Carl smiled and leaned back. It seemed that Paige's plan had worked better than expected.

AN: Before someone tells me that Kululu is just a little girl in the game, bear in mind that it has been TEN YEARS since then and she's grown up since that time. Incidentally, it was originally going to be Paige


End file.
